SUPERMARKET chain Lidl’s plans for a bigger store in Govan have been blocked by planners again.
The company had applied for a second time to demolish its ‘dated’ outlet at Moss Road and replace it with a significantly larger building.
City planners refused an earlier application saying that the building design included “large areas of inactive and blank frontage” and, in particular, “failed to adequately address a sufficient active street frontage” along Peninver Drive.
The new application stated that these issues had been addressed in discussion with planning officers.
But officials have now refused the latest proposal saying that because the new store was going to be so much bigger, Lidl should have taken a “sequential approach”, demonstrating that there were no suitable town centre locations available.
Their report states: “The existing GFA [gross floor area] as per the submitted drawings equates to 1,334 square metres. The proposed GFA is just under 2,300 square metres. This is an increase in almost 1,000 square metres.
“Given that this is a demolition and rebuild the new retail store… will require to undergo a sequential approach.
“Although not located within a designated town centre, the site is located within 100 metres of a designated Local Shopping Facility (Linthouse West Local Shopping Facility). The applicant has not demonstrated to the satisfaction of the planning authority that the proposed new retail unit will not significantly impact upon the nearby shopping facility.”
Planners also said the design again “failed to adequately address a sufficient active street frontage” along Peninver Drive.
Changes made for the revised attempt included adding high-level windows on the rear elevation, new shrub planting at the entrance plus keeping existing trees and adding more at the front of the site.
A supporting document with the application had stated: “The proposed design of the development will improve the overall visual amenity of the locality.
“The proposed development will replace the dated existing store with a modern, clean and contemporary store.”
